A few years ago I bought the OR Alibi over the Arc Teryx Gamma MX. I haven't been disappointed since. I recently upgraded to the new Alibi and I am very happy with the changes over the old Alibi. Here are my initial impressions.

The first thing I noticed was that the softshell fabric under the arms and on the back is a bit more substantial than the old Alibi, I'm happy about this because I always thought the old fabric felt a bit too thin.

They did away with thumb loops on the wrist gaiter (I never used them anyway)

Another change I noticed is that the softshell on the front of the jacket feels much more water resistant than the old fabric which felt almost like a sponge, I'm very exited about this as I'm pretty sure it'll be even more wind and water resistant.

Overall the Alibi is a great hybrid soft/hardshell comparable to the First Ascent Frontpoint jacket (which I don't like as much) which I believe has been discontinued.

The Alibi is great jacket for conditions where the benefits of a hardshell are needed along with the perks of a high end softshell. This is an excellent do it all softshell for all your winter adventures.

For a climber or aspiring alpinist, the firstlight is the best tent on the market.

Regardless of what people may have said in previous reviews, the firstlight does NOT leak as much as they would have you think. I've used mine in the rain and each time have stayed completely dry. There was even a small stream of water running under the tent all night and still we stayed dry.

That said, in heavy rain this tent may not be the best choice because the fabric is only "water resistant" though Nano shield is considered "waterproof" by european standards. Nano shield may be less waterproof than other "waterproof" fabrics but it is much more breathable. This means you will have less condensation in the firstlight than a similarly designed single wall "waterproof" tent.

If you're coming from a super comfy backpacking tent you will have to adjust your mindset transitioning to the firstlight. The firslight is not designed to be a comfortable tent to spend a week in. It is a lightweight assault style tent for people who value their legs on the hike in, more than having a roomy tent.

This tent represents the bare bones of what a tent should be and it has no added features you don't absolutely need. It doesn't have a vestibule for your packs/boots because people who are trying to save weight (ie people buying this tent) usually have 2/3 length sleeping pads and they use their pack and boots to insulate their feet-- eliminating the need for a worthless vestibule. This also means you need a smaller pack which will also weigh less. Also, climbers in cold, windy conditions often cook in their tents anyway using a jetboil (not recommended), so why do we need that vestibule again?

The firstlight sets up completely from the inside. This means that in bad conditions it is possible to throw your tent on the ground, jump inside with your stuff and set it up protected from the elements. Is it easy to do this--No, can it be done if need be--Yes, how many other tents could you do that with? It also has a very tall profile meaning that snow will just slid down rather than collecting on top.

This tent has a narrow profile. This means you don't have to have a very big ledge to be able to get a goodnights sleep. It also means you will be more cosy with your partner and sleep warmer. For those who think this tent is two small, I once used this tent without sleeping bags during a bivy with two 6ft+ guys last winter and we were just fine. Was it comfortable--No, was it superlight-weight and what we needed--Yes.

The firslight excels a being light wight, easy to pitch, area efficient (small footprint), and exactly what you need in the mountains. What more could you ask for? There is a reason that the firslight is used on peaks around the world and is the first choice among the worlds best alpinists.

I bought a set of these for a few of my doubles sizes. The rest of my cams are on DMM Spectre biners.

The first thing I noticed about these biners was how small they are. Don't be fooled, they are small. The second thing I noticed was their awesome design and clear/fluid gate action. These carabiners are very easy to use.

At first I thought that their small size would make them difficult to clip, but after taking them out a couple times I started reaching for these before my Spectres for easy clipping.

These may not be the best multi purpose wiregate out there, but for those looking for a fantastic racking biner that is lightweight and clips well, the Phantom is king.

I bought this bivy for lightweight alpine use and for use in emergencies. In all my research this bivy had the best balance of weight, breathability, and weather resistance.

I have used this bivy climbing Longs Peak and car camping. I have not encountered any real weather with this bivy so I can't testify to its waterproofness, but I can tell you that it breaths very well.

This is the best carabiner I have ever used. I origionally bought one of theses for a friend for christmas. I liked it soo much I got him something else and kept the carabiner. I soon decided that from then on I was only buying Helium quick-draws and trad draws. It does cost 3 or 4 bucks more than its cheeper competetitors, wait, competitors should be replaced with another word cause this carabiner blows all others away even without the hooded nose. Why? Cause its lighter than others, (ok I know it isn't lighter than the nano's but imo those are best regulated to keychain duty) It's as strong as superman. It's not a keychain biner, we're talking a full-size, fits in your hand carabiner. Has the best gate action I've ever felt. Looks awesome. And its Notchless! What more could you ask for!? And, its really not that much more expensive... If you're buying 6 QD its going to be just about thirty bucks more to get these.. Thats thirty bucks to upgrad your decently good QD to the top of the line QD! Idk, but to me buying this carabiner over others is a no brainer..

I use these on my cams.. I love the gate action and their shape takes clove hitches really well. When REI was sold out I went to the touble of calling their Seattle store to have them ship me some more! I Love these carrabiners! I'd give them five stars if they were knotchless..